The American Red Cross announced that the Bank of America Foundation has donated $19,000 to the Palmetto SC Region of the Red Cross for its Home Fire Campaign. The gift enables the Red Cross to help families and communities prevent and prepare for home fires across South Carolina.

“We are grateful for the assistance of partners like the Bank of America Foundation who are helping us keep families in South Carolina safe from the most common disaster in the country, home fires,” said Louise Welch Williams, CEO for the Palmetto SC Region of the Red Cross.

The Home Fire Campaign aims to decrease deaths and injuries due to home fires by educating families on how to prevent home fires and what to do in the case of a home fire. Thanks to generous donors like the Bank of America Foundation, volunteers from the Red Cross are installing 50,000 smoke alarms in South Carolina homes and educating thousands of families on fire safety.

 “We appreciate everything that the Red Cross does for our communities. Especially over the past year and a half, the Red Cross has been there to support through the SC Floods, Emmanuel AME Shooting, and Hurricane Matthew.  We know how much you’ve helped,” said Mark Munn of U.S. Trust.

Home fires are the most common disaster in the United States. In just minutes a family can lose everything, from their belongings to their home, and most tragically, a loved one. Home fires occur more often than most people realize; in South Carolina, the Red Cross responds to requests from local fire departments every 3.9 hours to come to the aid of victims affected by home fires.

For more information about home fire preparedness, to become a Red Cross volunteer, or to make a financial contribution to Red Cross, call 843-764-2323 or visit http://www.redcross.org/local/south-carolina.html.